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Reviews
Kingu Kongu tai Gojira (1962)
Slightly above average Kaiju movie
From the beginning scenes you can tell this is a little different. It's almost like a proto-Verhoeven film. It has a satirical edge to it that you dont see in other Godzilla movies. And just overall it's a little zanier and kind of wild compared to previous Godzilla films.
It's still Honda directing and still a TOHO film with the same technical crew as most other Kaiju. It was just this one script and a few actors that made this one a tad more enjoyable than many others.
I will be blunt though. It's not as amazing as a lot have made it seem. I guess if you saw this once when you were a kid then had to wrok to find it again in the pre-internet era of video rental stores. That would inflate the spectacle of the film a lot.
It is better than most Kaiju films. It does have some memorable characters and some moments of the Kaiju fights that are remarkable. But really it's only about 10% better than the average Kaiju film. There are others like Mothra that are much better in a number of ways.
It is kind of a turning point for the franchise in a few ways. This starting the change of Godzilla from an evil monster to a kind of antihero. Antimonster maybe?
The pitched up his roar a bit. Made the suit less scary looking and had him dance whenever he scores a good move against King Kong.
King Kong is a little weird. He looks nothing like the classic Kong. Very crude and rough. Not to my liking at all. But the suit actor did a great job of mimicing ape like movements.
The fight choreo is recognizably influenced by pro wrestling. I thought that was a great idea, but there are a couple spots I really didn't like how they went about it, but it worked.
Overall it's enjoyable not to be taken seriously fare.
Darkman (1990)
Underrated Raimi zanyness
This is not a great film, it is a really good movie.
Overall it's a fun ride from start to finish, and it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's a bit remarkable in that Raimi seemed to have aimed for an R from the outset with extra helpings of violence, gore and f-bombs. But no nudity or drugs! This is a soft R.
It would have been a much better film with more consistency. The editing and effects are all over the place. In some parts early in the film the editing is incoherent. Such as the scene where he gets blown up. But then later in the film there is a lot of crazy dense editing and impressionistic storytelling.
It's kind of what makes it a charming film. It has those over the top Raimi moments along with some goofy bits that seem amateur. Say what you want but you wont be bored watching Darkman.
Liquid Sky (1982)
one of a kind
This is a very oddball movie.
The pacing and dialogue have the air of an 80s porno. Plotwise it could be a horror movie, science fiction or just post modern gonzo sillyness. And its super duper gay.
But really the music is the star of the show. Such other of left field music. Timbre, tonality and pattern are unlike anything else except maybe Wndy Carlos.
This movie is very seedy as well. With lots of sex and drugs involved. All of this wrapped in a black bow of dark humor.
I can see how a person could watch this movie and think it was terrible. Because it doesn't cater to standard tropes of storytelling in movies. It goes it's own way. So you either surrender to the insanity and go along for the ride. Or you are assaulted by gay psychedelic weirdness with an unfathomable plot.
Either way this movie has become a touchstone or benchmark to a lot of creative people. It set a kind of a high mark for this kind of expression that few else have achieved.
Gojira vs. Desutoroiâ (1995)
Interesting unusual Kaiju.
In a lot of ways this is the regular formulaic kaiju movie. There is a monster, there is Godzilla. They spend most of the movie slowly moving towards each other like an inevitable accident that can't be prevented. Monsters fight a few times, then there is a big fight at the end of course.
This movie departs from a lot of other kaiju films in a few ways.
First there is the title monster Destroyah. It just looks unusual and different from every other kaiju you have seen. I'm not sure if there is even an actor inside a suit. Or if these are all just puppets and models. Its a great design and kind of visceral. Though it steals a bit from the xenomorph in Alien.
The effects are pretty good for a kaiju film from the 90s. It easily stands above the SFX from the 70s and 80s in a lot of places. In every place except the water scenes. There are a few really good scenes in the water. But most of them have the same jelly look where the water looks too thick, and the boats look like toys. Not sure how they could improve that without resorting to CGI. Which was probably too expensive in 1995. Though we do see some CGI effects in Destroyah's attacks.
The art direction and set design is very over the top in this production. I was surprised at how much the G force headquarters looked like something out of Doctor Who. And overall a lot of objects they interact with and even costumes get a rare attention to detail. But again there is that low budget unevenness. But it's a Kaiju, not Star Wars. You expect this to be kind of pulpy cheap pleasure.
Not to give anything away, but I disliked the ending. It really goes out on a down note. Not the usual Hulk like ending. With the mournful music and the antihero monster going away from the destruction they wrought. But also leaving behind the people that care about them. Yes really, has nobody ever noticed how the Hulk TV series and Godzilla movies are the same exact story?
The movie comes close to passing the Bechdel test. So long as you don't count Godzilla as a man. At least until the end of the one scene where the younger of the two women complains she cant wait til this is all resolved and she can just be a housewife and raise kids. (rolling eyes audibly)
Overall I really enjoyed the movie. Despite a few flaws and the typical visible gaps in production.
This is inherent to the genre. The worst Godzilla films have no rubber suits, state of the art special effects and a B plot where the boy gets the girl.
The good ones put that classic soundtrack right up front. Godzilla smashing miniatures. And a plotline that would be at home in professional wrestling. This scores 10/10 on those points.
On a side note. I'm pretty sure Aqua Teen Hunger Force stole the Destroyah monster for a few episodes. Or maybe I'm imagining things.
Gojira: Fainaru uôzu (2004)
Incoherent fun.
The story as much as there is one seems stitched together out of 3 different movies. It's completely incoherent with a lot of exposition that leads nowhere. Why was baby Godzilla even in the movie?
The music by "Sum 41' is distracting. At times its pretty good, other times totally at odds with what is on screen.
Either way it adds to a the chaotic feel of the movie.
The editing is also particularly brutal. There are a few scenes where they are doing alternating A and B shots and they manage to flip it 180 degrees. Causing the viewer to expect action from the wrong direction.
That all said it is a fun Kaiju movie. The monsters are pretty cool and the cities getting destroyed look realistic. Some of the effects are just plain comical. Such as the "ThunderBirds are Go" style of the Earth ships. Both in the way they look and how they move like wooden puppets. And the way they stay 3 feet above the ground.
But that just adds to the charm.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
The bad parts drag it down
3rd installment in the series, but in a lot of ways it's really the 2nd installment. With 10 years passing by between Planet of the Apes and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The movie that introduced us to Cesar and the virus.
Overall the story is very predictable. The CGI is still as bad as the previous movies, in some cases worse!
Andy Serkis does a great job of motion capture acting. Either that or the motion graphic artists are killing it. Which I find hard to believe. The computer generated Apes have that same unnerving quality to them that they have in the last movie. The appear to be made of air in some scenes and lead in others. Sometimes they bend like rubber, sometimes they defy gravity. It's hard to put your finger on but they just don't seem to follow physics like the human actors do. It looks even worse next to the practical effects/costumes.
I really hate to make such a big deal out of effects not looking good, but this is a film made within the last 10 years. I've watched films that came out years before this that do not have that off putting quality to the CGI. Or such a gulf between the practical effects and computer ones. If it was that distracting watching it at home it must have been disgusting in the theatre?
I kind of liked the story at first. Like I said it was predictable. But that isn't always a bad thing. Godzilla movies are predictable. Star Trek is predictable.
However this story had a lot of potential to work with. Caesar has a family now, there is a rival for leadership of the apes. And there are humans that have survived the virus.
If done right there could have been some decent drama. For instance, Caesar's family is introduced to us. Wife, who births a son to him as well as another son who is already a teenager(?). The older son is injured in what seems to be foreshadowing. As a lot is made of the incident and he wears the scars of it for the rest of the film. But nothing really comes of it. Likewise Caesar's family disappears from the story line whenever he isn't on screen. I'd expected them to be placed in peril, or for someone close to Caesar to be killed in a way he cannot intervene, spurring him to finally lash out at the humans. But nothing really develops of his family. They are just mute witnesses to the events of the film.
I do not want to go into more detail and spoil the movie. Lets just say it seems like the script had a darker more dramatic version. Then notes came in and they toned it down for a PG rating or something. There is a lot of dramatic potential with the family, the humans and Koba, the contender for leadership of the apes.
All of that potential drama is ignored. Instead we get a few big fights that start off good and drag on too long. Relying on ridiculously improbable CGI stunts to keep the excitement up.
Yeah it's just a Planet of the Apes movie. Not a Shakespeare adaptation. But it had a lot of potential with some seriously decent actors onboard.
I will grudgingly say I really enjoyed a few scenes with Koba. Especially the ones where he plays into the prejudices of the humans.
I also wish there had been more scenes like those in "Rise..." where Caesar uses his superior intelligence to outwit the humans. Such as his 4 dimensional chess on the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead he seems to be the passive force in this movie. Reacting to events but not originating any solutions or outwitting anyone.
Koba is the only ape that seems to be inhabited by intelligence. Being both cunning and devious.
I hope for the next movie they managed to work out the kinks in their CGI physics.
Gojira tai Mosura tai Mekagojira: Tôkyô S.O.S. (2003)
Everything you want in a Godzilla flick.
Everything you want in a Godzilla flick. Nothing you dont.
No, it's not a very sophisticated movie. It's Godzilla not Goddard.
Yes it has guys in rubber suits knocking over buildings.
It also has tanks shooting death rays and missiles.
It's fun.
I found myself pumping a fist in the air at a few points.
Mostly they were callbacks to the original Mothtra film.
But there were a few things that are just particular to the genre. See the above mentioned tanks and missiles.
The only thing I didn't like was how uneven the effects were.
There are some parts that look just great, even for this genre.
But some of the miniatures and key shots remind me of low budget BBC like Blake's 7.
Autómata (2014)
Lots of potential
In the first act it had me buying in.
The set design, mechanicals and art direction are pretty good.
It has kind of a 1980s Heavy Metal magazine vibe.
I really liked the premise of the story as it's laid out in the first 20 minutes or so.
As we get into the 2nd act it started losing it's hold on me.
The dialogue was just really bad and as good as Antonio Banderas is, the overall story isn't compelling.
There are good guys and bad guys. And plenty of bystanders, but I just couldnt detect motivations. Stuff just happens on screen and then other stuff happens.
I saw a lot of potential to explore the ideas of AI and consciousness. The style of the film also started out much more adventurous then got very bread and butter.
It gives me the impression that it was a more coherent story at one point. Then when they were already underway some of the producers had a different vision of how to tell the story. Maybe the original story was more unconventional. It certainly seems to start off as a gritty cyberpunk noir then by the end it's all nicely resolved in the most boring sanitized Hollywood way.
In a way it reminds me of a Trek episode.
Even if the writing is a little bad here and there, its enjoyable for what imagination it does bring. But at the same time you know its not going to take you anywhere earth shattering.
If it was maybe 15% better written, and if Melanie Griffith wasn't pasted into the plot because her husband is the lead and a producer.
Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex: Pu239 (2004)
Underated Episode.
In this story we get more 'face time' with the apparent villain of this story arc Kazundo Gouda.
As usual things are not always as they seem. But I won't give anything away.
I will say that this episode is an interesting deviation from most GitS episodes in that it doesnt use any of the standard musical cues. It's pretty much all original composition or at least something licensed that wasn't used anywhere else in GitS.
Overall the episode has more of a movie vibe. Like a spaghetti western or a 70s heist film.
It packs a lot into it's 22 minutes!
I do have to say that Gouda's character is a bit on the nose. Maybe not so much for anime in general, but he seems a little over the top for GitS.
Nevertheless this episode gives us an idea of Kazundo Gouda's character. Through his subtle and not so subtle manipulation of people. And through his constant testing of boundaries.
The artwork and animation is also a bit above average on this episode. A few scenes are very filmic in their blocking and storytelling.
The story does stand on it's own somewhat. It serves the story arc of the season, well ONE of the story arcs, but it's also it's own little self contained story.
What it doesn't do is have it's characters stand around in some room doing exposition at each other. Which is a lot of the 2nd season.
Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex: Shouendan-u/Barrage (2003)
Finale
This is the finale of the first series.
The episode after is the denouement or you could say the meta finale.
This episode continues the story from the previous in the series. With Section 9 on the defensive. And this is one of those GitS episodes that gets at me. It actually manages to pluck at the heart strings while barraging you with a violent cyberpunk future.
This is more remarkable in that it involves an artificial life form(s).
The animation is top notch of course. Positively bonkers mechanical designs all over the place.
This is another one of those stories that makes me think. Specifically about the recurring motif of sacrifice you see in Asian storytelling. I dont know how to explain it but it just has an almost bittersweet aspect?
This is one of those stories that will have you wondering who is cutting onions, like Testation.
If I am honest there are a few scenes I wish had gone longer!
The Mighty Boosh: The Strange Tale of the Crack Fox (2007)
Classic Fielding and Barratt
I think this episode can best be represented by the first little scene where Naboo is buying shaman juice from a streeet tough. It's absolutely absurd, but Noel Fielding plays it dead on serious. The bit about his mom cooking him spaghetios, I've heard actual street drug dealers say almost the exact same thing!
What follows is their signature mishmash of surreal animation and cheap costumes.
Richard Ayoade shows up to overact and theres a goofy song. And a chase scene of course.
It's really one of the great things about Boosh that it's got all this music that sounds like outtakes from a really good album of an obscure band.
This particular episode, while good, kind of fizzles out towards the end. Otherwise I'd give it a 10.
Lebanon (2009)
Good not Great
It has a few decent parts. There are some scenes that are effective and memorable. But overall, the storytelling is kind of hard to follow and not really compelling.
There is also the hard to ignore racism. The Arabs are portrayed as nothing more than cardboard cutout bad guys. And every single stereotype is employed.
It's a shame because it almost manages to have a redemptive arc.
This movie would have been 90% better if there had been some bootcamp or before the army scenes. Something where you get introduced to the characters outside of the tank. And maybe get some backstory, motivations etc.
Because when it comes down to it, it's just a story of a couple guys you see at odd angles in a tank. And a few things you see through a periscope.
Well that and the corny racism ruined it for me.
Man in the Chair (2007)
edgy camerawork and no real story
I found it tedious. It just wasn't very compelling or engaging.
If I am watching a movie and I feel an urge to whip out my phone and see what the weather is like, that is not a good film!
This despite packing a pretty great roster of character actors and of course Christopher Plummer.
A large part of this is the story. Which is basically an after school special about misunderstood kids and older people or something. Great ad for libraries I guess. It's also just so flat. There are a few points of conflict, like the bullies early on. But that thread is kind of lost. Then there are other story elements that jump in and out haphazardly. It's just kind of hard to see what story they are trying to tell and why some unrelated parts are in there?
It's not terrible, to be honest. I could live with it except for the random shaky camerawork.
It's like you are watching an Episode of the Rockford Files and they just gotta go across town to talk to Fuzzy Bear but oh no shaky camera attack, trip out.
Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex: Tachikoma no Iede, Eiga-Kantoku no Yume/Escape From (2003)
Sleeper episode
It's your basic storytelling device of an A plot and a B plot that is used in a lot of TV. Except they kind of deconstruct that plot structure. Putting the A and B plot back to back.
First you follow a Tachikoma on it's excursion with a little girl it meets.
Then we see the crew of Section 9 do a deep dive on an object the AI robot finds.
At first blush this seems to be a filler story. It doesn't advance the season long story arc. Though it does flesh out a few characters.
However it does do the two things that all good GITS stories do. It has an emotional resonance at a level most people can identify with. Its also thought provoking and intellectually stimulating. Exploring ideas like what constitutes art in the cyber world?
What is consent when your perceptions can be manipulated like phosphors on a computer screen?
The artwork is great as always. The story starts out light then gets darker as more is revealed. Not one of my favorite episodes if I am honest. But I never skip it. Always worth watching. This is why I rate it only 8. I have to leave room for other episodes like "Testation" to be rated higher!
Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex (2002)
Just as good as the movies. if not better
This is a wonderful anime. It has much better animation and writing than most other anime. In fact, I'd put it above most TV shows in general. It develops characters over time, gradually peeling them back and showing us more. Even the AI Logicoma/Tatchicoma tank robots are explored more than they are in the manga.
Overall I'd actually say the series follows Shirow Masamune's managa better than the movie.
The episodes are a bit uneven. Some of them are so heavy they hit like a ton of bricks. Then are followed by a lightweight episode that seems like it's just a placeholder. But overall most episodes in this series 9/10 or 10/10. Even the lacking ones are a solid 7-8.
The series follows section 9. A kind of swat team with military personnel and robots. Almost all members of the team are cyborgs with superhuman abilities due to their cybernetic enhancements. In addition they engage in hacking both tactically and strategically. And over all cybercrime, cyber-espionage and technological effects on society make up a large part of plot in most stories.
The character and vehicle design is top notch. Though it seem the characters get a bit off model depending on who is in charge of animation on each episode?
The music is certainly of it's time. It has a very late 90's early 2000's IDM vibe. Not in an overbearing way really. But I heavily dislike techno-rave type music thanks to some annoying neighbors I had years ago, and at first I did heavily dislike some of it.
But this is very much a cyberpunk genre series. So it would be kind of bizarre if the music wasn't some kind of IDM, Industrial or EBM.
There are a few places in the series where it gets a little risque. It's implied that the Major is into kinky sex a few times. And also implied that she is lesbian, bi, or may even be a guy in female cyber body.
There is some brief silhouette of a breast a couple times. And your usual Japanese gratuitous angle of the major's rear end.
However sexual titillation isn't the focus of the series. It's just standard in anime storytelling so I wouldnt be hung up on it. I only mention in case anyone is wondering about age appropriateness.
To which I'd say you would be better off worrying if it's too violent.
It's a very violent series. Almost every episode someone gets shot, blown up or killed in other spectacular fashion. Sometimes very similar to the obsessively detailed grotesque artwork of Junji Ito.
For example in one episode a robot has it's head blown to bits revealing the detailed teeth and tongue along with wires and tubes.
But underlying all the violence and cyberpunk it's a consistent commentary on our digital world. Remarkable that the manga originated before the internet was public and the movie and series both originated over 20 years ago before ubiquitous computers and cell phones. It is quiet prescient on a number of the effects of technology on our society.
Fehér isten (2014)
Not for everyone, but fantastic!
I saw this movie years ago in the theatre. It made such an impression on me I went back to see it a 2nd time at the same place a week later. (I'd also seen everything else worthwhile showing there)
I won't rundown the plot except to say it has nothing to do with whiteness in the racial sense, unless you wanted to make a very broad metaphor of the story. VERY broad.
It's interesting in that it's kind of an electroclash genre film.
It starts off being kind of an urban narrative about teen alienation. Following the tribulations of a young teen girl living with her emotionally distant father.
Just as I thought I was in for another overwrought coming of age story it shifts focus to the dog. And from there the genre of the movie changes. I won't ruin it because the movie had such an emotional impact on first viewing.
This is not a subtle movie with delicate performances. It is however very thought provoking. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in movies and storytelling. I would not suggest it as a date movie. Some people will take exception to the violent themes. Especially with the dogs. The filmmakers used over 200 dogs from shelters in the film and they made sure all were adopted after the end of filming. Nonetheless it does depict dog fighting and a few other things.
That all said, there is a moment in this film that is so good, so emotional, if you dont pump a fist in the air or at least get a lump in your throat you literally do not have a soul.
Qi qiao feng huang bi yu dao (1979)
Slightly goofy Wuxia
I got to see this on a poorly transferred print. Overexposed and with some kind of aspect ratio problem that leaves the middle out of focus and the sides sharp.
I could see hints of good cinematography in the first 10 minutes, so I had high hopes.
I wont go into details but the plot meanders all over and is very confusing. Characters are introduced and gotten rid of with no fanfare. The end even is very anti-climactic.
That all said it's kind of interesting.
It's kind of a revival of Wuxia style film during a period when everyone was making kung fu flicks.
Those older 60s wuxia flicks are often very soap opera-ish. Less macho bravado and more intrigue.
The martial arts in wuxia is metaphorical. It's about the guy with integrity or purity or just plain more spiritual power triumphing over the bad guys.
This movie is definitely emulating those older genre flicks with its tea houses and villas and swordplay centered fighting.
They got my hope up in the beginning. With the "7 promises" of the title. These are more like 7 good ideas for the naive traveler. But this gave me hope that it was going to involve some Confucian parables and character development.
Instead it kind of wanders from miniboss to miniboss until it gets to the main boss.
Not a bad movie, but kind of typical for films out of Taiwan in the 70s. It's a notch below a good movie in several areas at once, but still an ok film to watch if you are just being lazy on a weekend.
The Anderson Tapes (1971)
good not great
The acting and overall story is pretty good. The cast has a lot of great actors playing minor roles. The overall premise is very strange though.
It's right there in the title. The whole movie there is always someone under surveillance. At first you think it's just one set of guys listening in on our protagonist. But soon there are overlapping investigations from IRS, FBI, private detectives and who knows who else. The premise is strange enough, that the B plot is going to be various surveillance guys. But the practice is weirder. They frequently just break the 4th wall and show you where the microphone is.
And then about halfway through it just becomes a heist film. And we forget about microphones entirely.
A bunch of stuff happens, the cops show up and then the credits roll.
This is almost a good movie, but my no means great?
I think anyone who gives this movie that kind of credit must have some core memory of watching this with their pa or something. It's really not.
The plot has a few major points that dont make sense.
The part where the girlfriend's sugar daddy shows up and says he owns her and everyone basically agrees and moves on.
I don't know if the director was trying to say something too subtle here or if it is just sloppy storytelling.
Why is at least one person not angry about this situation? Most men I know would want to beat the daylights out of such a patronizing jerk taking away their girl. Most women would be angry if their man just stood there and took it.
Then the way the cops go from being notified by HAM radio of a robbery to mobilizing every available unit, and cordoning off the building. I fail to see any explanation for why they did it that way. Or what motivated such a massive police response based on a "robbery" I guess they had already filmed the car crashes and needed to justify how that all looked afterwards? With the deserted streets
Also the head cop is kind of creepy. Did they have MDMA in 1971? I always felt like he was going to lick the cop he was talking to. Maybe the actor was extra drunk. Or good friends with Walken.
The real torpedo is the score. I was really surprised that it was by Quincy Jones? It doesn't sound like anything else I'm familiar with of his. It's jarring and often seems to arrive randomly when there is no call for it.
That all said, this is an enjoyable movie. I love heist films, weird soundtracks and Connery. But in terms of telling a story it came off like it was improvised then written in the cutting room.
Shao Lin yu Wu Dang (1983)
If not for the Hip Hop group, you wouldn't know about this film.
I'm a fan of both Wu Tang and HK martial arts films.
This movie is good as a kung fu flick, great if you are a Wu Tang fan, just to hear the samples in context.
But as a standalone its quite uneven.
The costumes are pretty decent. Many other films of this era are less picky about such details. I don't know if any are historically accurate, but they at least fit the actors, and have some details.
Sets are not too bad either.
The lighting and cinematography are mediocre. So you have a strange circumstance where you are looking at pretty well dressed actors in a believable set, but the camera is barely in focus lighting seems to mostly be single point or available light. And its 4:3 aspect ratio further takes it down a notch in presentation.
The acting is nothing to write home about. But its really the story that stinks. Its just kind of meanders and there isn't a real compelling story arc or character development.
However the fight choreo is pretty decent.
Thought it might even be Yuen Wo Ping.
Its really one of those films where you are twiddling your thumbs while people are talking then a fight breaks out and it has your attention again.
I'm being a little hard on it because its an 80's film. But it comes off like a 60's or 70's film. It should have better production value. Look at Jimmy Wang Yu's Master of the Flying Guilllotine. It's from 1976 but had better lighting and cinematography. The story is a trite, but it at least has a B plot. And some great characters!
Despite all my quibbles Gordon Liu is great.
DEFCON-4 (1985)
unconventional post apocalyptic film
First off I have reservations about who can review a film like this. You kind of have to have lived during the cold war to even understand what a film like this is about.
Basically this is like every other post apocalyptic film, in that it confronts the horror of nuclear apocalypse head on. This is of course still relevant. Russia, China, North Korea, India and Pakistan could take a shot at the US any time. But this isn't like the 70's and 80's in the US where it is a constant part of you awareness. It's constantly surfacing in pop culture in the songs, tv shows and movies. It was just always lurking around the corner. So of course us Gen Xers refused to take anything seriously at all and instead tried to make our path through life more like a John Landis film.
This movie starts out really really well. It very unconventionally kind of walks you sideways into the premise of the film. Making an attempt at the blue collar crew in space. Obviously influenced by Alien.
The story transitions to a post apocalyptic hellscape. With roving gangs of cannibals, warlords and well stocked survivalists.
This is where the movie takes it's first big hit. The primary bad guy is just awful. The acting, the way we are shown he is a jerk. Just the premise that the rich preppy jock will be a local warlord after the apocalypse is kind of ludicrous. But preppy douche bad guys were kind of a trope in the 80s. Just think about nearly every other 80's B movie where the kids were gonna save the movie theater/ski resort/restaurant/home they grew up in.
There are still some good bits. Maury Chaykin is pretty great as the kilt wearing survivalist. He did a pretty good job of being deadpan and threatening. But after that segment is done with he is just loitering in the background the rest of the film.
The rest of the film is pretty messy. As if they had a solid storyboard for the first half of the movie. Then wrote the rest as they shot it.
Again this is a B movie. The kind of film that you don't search out to see because of some hidden greatness in the writing or directing despite the low budget. Instead it's best when you just find it playing on late night TV after the MASH reruns on a high UHF channel.
If you grew up in the years before internet, before cable. In a town with 4 and a half TV stations. You might find this a refreshing change from the sitcom reruns and televangelists which plagued the airwaves of analog TV.
But these days its just wooden acting, low budget effects and bad writing.
OTOH it does pass the Bechdel test, just barely.
Du bi quan wang da po xue di zi (1976)
Uneven but enjoyable
I'd seen this a few times when I was younger. Watching the kung fu movies and creature features on UHF stations back in the 70s and 80s. I was really happy when it was released on DVD.
To be fair, you are not going to be satisfied with this movie if you are along for the plot. This is not hollywood. This is Hong Kong at its best. Surprisingly it was an independent production. But is building on two Shaw Brothers franchises. The 'one armed boxer/swordsman' and the 'flying guillotine'.
Surprised Jimmy Wang Yu was allowed by Shaw Brothers lawyers. But maybe HK copyright law is more liberal in these regards. Maybe he had a favor to call.
Either way it somehow transcends the genre.
The movie is directionless. It seems almost like it was made up as they went along
But along the way you get to see a lot of just plain ludicrous martial arts. With a soundtrack they straight pilfered from German Krautrock bands Neu! And Kraftwerk.
This isn't just a kung fu flick. It's positively surreal. The krautrock soundtrack does some lifting there. But it really has some weird sensibilities to it.
At times this verges on the silly. But this passes.
I especially loved the martial arts contest that takes place. You only get to see a few square ups. But for it's time this was impressive to be showing some valid martial arts styles outside of Kung Fu, like Muay Thai for example.
The end seems very much kind of figured out at the last minute.
But like I said, this isn't a deep movie about the human condition.
Superstore: Employee Appreciation Day (2019)
laugh cry, its all there.
It's about as funny as most episodes. Mark McKinney is on the spot with comic timing as always. If you haven't checked out Kids in the Hall you are missing his best work.
Then surprisingly in a few places it gets kinda more real than usual.
Some of that is season finale business. But overall by the end of it I felt quite emotional.
I have to give kudos to the writers for developing some of the more 2 dimensional characters in this season and doing multi-episode story arc around unionization. This is after all a sitcom. So it is surprising to see them take chances and for the most part it reaps rewards.
Space Battleship Yamato (2010)
Live action doesnt always work.
I was. Big fan of the original series. Recently caught the animated movie "Space Battleship Yamato Resurrection" which I enjoyed.
Somehow this movie which came a year later doesnt work for me at all.
The storyline in both movies is preposterous and doesn't bear close scrutiny. Likewise the characters in both movies are one dimensional. I guess it is just the difference between live action and animation. With anime we don't mind if the characters are thin and the plot is stupid. It's just fun. But when it's live action we kind of expect acting, and writing and all that.
This movie seems almost like the script was written for an anime and they decided to make it live action in pre-production.
The VFX are very good for the budget of the movie. The cinematography is great. I just can't get into this movie at all.
Kimitachi wa dô ikiru ka (2023)
Reminds me of another famous Japanese Directors later work
This Miyazaki film feels different than prior works. It has a strong autobiographical character. And a rather dour protagonist.
The opening scenes paraphrase Hayao Miyazaki's personal life closely (plane canopies not rudders etc).
Then the film shifts gears to become more fantastical, allegorical and metaphysical.
It resolves and everyone winds up back in the appropriate place and role.
I'm a little split on my opinion. On the one hand it was confusing in places. The different sections almost feel like they were directed by different people. Their tone is so different.
But maybe I just need to watch it a few more times to get it. This is not a simple film and, while not a grown up film with nudity or drugs. It's not a cute kids film by any stretch. So it might not be a good idea to take the whole family to the cinema expecting Ponyo or Nausica. Might end up with a car full of grumpy kids afterwards.
This film has elements similar to prior Miyazaki films. But the fantastical and cute is dialed down. The symbolic and philosophical is more prominent.
I did enjoy the movie a lot. But am looking forward to repeated viewing to unravel what is being said.
Prey (2014)
Great production and acting. Writing is just okay.
I enjoyed this series, or is it a mini-series?
It's an interesting story. I won't give it away.
The production is very well executed. Good use of available light and normal locations. The acting is very good. Everyone really seems to be living their roles convincingly.
There are a few places I thought the plot kind of faltered.
It should have been either more believable or generated more intrigue. But instead it did neither, opting for a more emotional outcome. Or at the very least kept our protagonist in play.
For example, I would really have enjoyed a bit more detective work and shaking down the bad guys. Finding out more tantalizing clues that lead to more revelations. I enjoy watching crime dramas and cop shows for that aspect. Like the Mike Chiklis show The Shield.
This series has some of that rotten cop aspect but they don't explore it very much. I also wish that they had explored a bit more of the female co-star's life while all this is going on. She is actually the protagonist. And Simm's character would be better described as the anti-hero. Overall pretty good, darn site better than most American TV these days which is all about explosions and cliff hangers.